The 15 and under A grand final went down to the wire, but Horsham was able to hold on against a fast-finishing Ararat side.
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The Demons started the better of the two sides in the warm conditions, holding a slight lead at quarter-time before moving six ahead by the main break.
Horsham continued to pull away, leading by 10 goals at one point, but Ararat was able to stay within touching distance at five goals heading into the last term.
“We earned the right to be there, we were good enough to be there and win but chasing a 10 goal lead in hot conditions was very tough,” Rats coach Donna Spalding said.
“I just said to my girls at three-quarter-time that five goals was doable and to remember that feeling of what it was like when we won last year.”
Horsham was able to control much of the quarter, but Ararat did not stop, surging hard in the last five minutes of the game.
They scored in the last minute to move within one-goal, and had possession of the ball just outside their goal circle when the final siren sounded.
Horsham held on to win 30-29.
“To come back and nearly go to time-on was an amazing effort,” Spalding said.
“I am really proud of my girls. It could have been easy to let them run away with it so to show some fight was brilliant. We just ran out of time today.”
Horsham’s Eloise Wills was adjudged best on court in the grand final.